The Story of Abraham in the Quran – part 4

Continuing with the story of Abraham in the Quran, we will see how Abraham symbolizes a model of living:

إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةًۭ قَانِتًۭا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

16:120 Truly Abraham was equal to a community in himself; he was devoted to Obeying God. He turned from all that is wrong, and he was not among those idolaters.

The phrase “إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةًۭ قَانِتًۭا لِّلَّهِ”, translated as “Truly Abraham was equal to a community in himself, he was devoted to obeying God”, where the word “أُمَّةًۭ” is described as a community in himself. We understand that prophet Abraham’s mission in the Quran is presented as a struggle with his father and with the people in his community.  Some other prophets are presented in the Quran interacting with the community that become followers of the message whereas Abraham is not shown to have such followers. The purpose of the Quran is to present essential matters that you and I need to be aware of, presented in different contexts as it relates to our life.

Abraham is a good example for me as an individual on what I am supposed to do with my life and my living in a community. There may be conflicts that arise, not in social matters, but in belief matters concerning the existence of the universe. The community follows a certain culture and I may follow another ideology that may not necessarily match, i.e. we may not have any common points between us. There are many examples from the personal life of prophet Abraham presented to us such as his relationship with his father, with his  community that should form the basis for my living. For example, the Abrahamic model conveys to me that when societal values do not make sense to me, I should reject them by not following their way of life.

One example from the Quran in verses 29:8 and 31: 15, which mentions that when parents ask me to do something contradicting my reality or that of this universe, i.e. not relating to God but preferring something other than what God suggests, then I should not obey them. The Quran mentions: “do not obey them but keep good relations with them.” The relationship with parents and other people must be on good terms but do not obey them when they steer one away from worshiping God.

The Quran gives the example of Abraham talking to his father in verses 19:42-45, where he says in a sweet way: “Oh my dear father, do not follow Satan, false ideas, that don’t help you, provide you with anything. Why worship something which cannot even speak or move from their places?” This was the struggle of Prophet Abraham where he was alone which is an example for me where I may be alone among millions of people. I must be on good terms with them but at the same time I should try to remind them what they are doing is harmful. The Quran presents the case with the destruction of the idols in verse 21: 58. How do I destroy the idols? There are no idols in physical terms. I have to stand alone: “I am not going to follow your false understandings, false interpretations of creation, false fashion, false popular culture, and false purpose of life.”   

We have no excuse that I have no community to protect myself. I may or may not have some community but I should have a community where I can share common belief matters and be on good terms with them. I should avoid bringing up matters of dispute with family members and other people. If they listen to me, I can share, otherwise I must be careful to not follow their false understandings or take on their cultural elements. Being an individual person must not be an excuse for me to not share my understanding with others, or to follow a community with false values.

Prophet Abraham is presented as one individual person devoted to obeying God alone. The word used is “حَنِيفًۭا” (hanif), translated as “turned away from all that is wrong”. We have to be “hanif”, keeping one’s own innate pure disposition, qualities that I brought from birth, without polluting them with biased, egoistic interpretations, not being exposed to the values of the community from which I have no common point. It may be difficult while I am among the disagreeable community to keep my pure innate disposition, i.e. as the way that I am created from birth. I cannot really always follow what my human side requires but will deviate from time to time. I should try to keep my original innate being, preserve it as much as possible; that should be my aim. This requires the struggle by which we became aware of the difference between what is right and what is wrong. This is how we learn in order to improve our human qualities.

The phrase “وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ”, is translated as “he was not among those idolaters”. I must be consistent to not have any false understanding of any part of this universe, including my egoistic tendencies to overcome me.  I must be aware that everything in the universe needs to be created; live with “la ilaha”, nothing is the source of existence of anything. To say “la ilaha” is easy as everything in the universe is crying out that I am created, I have no choice, I have no quality to claim anything belonging to me. The Quran makes it clear that those made up words such as: “nature”, “accident”, “randomness”, “luck”, “chance”, have no evidence and are nothing but people’s invention (See for example, 7: 71; 12: 40; 53: 23) . I may declare that nothing has the power to do anything but how about my egocentric choices? The egocentric choice and desire do not recognize that it is created, doesn’t recognize that it has a Creator who is not of the nature of this universe. For example, anytime I choose something and say that “this is what I like, the creation should be in this way” is what my egocentric understanding of the world is that does not recognize that God creates it. The ego says that I exist by myself and everything must be created according to what I will. When the result does not happen according to my expectation, I get disappointed. This is a very livable experience that I go through which lets me know that my false expectations are my idols, inducing a hidden “shirk” (appointing divinity to any part of this universe).  

I have to respect my feelings, my inclinations, the way that I am created. However, I have to understand that my feelings and human qualities tell me that I am created, I do not exist by myself, I have a Creator who I must remember in all my choices, and I must follow His order in creation. While I am following the order in the universe I should bear in mind that is what the Creator wants me to do, what is required. A simple example, I get thirsty, why is there no water available in my hand immediately? Why do I have to go to the kitchen or somewhere else to get it? Being unhappy, angry for water not being immediately available for my thirst when the order requires me to just go and get it. Another example is when someone treats me in a way that I did not like. What does the order of the universe tell me? Do my job and leave the result to the Creator; don’t try to change the creation, you cannot anyways,  from what has been created, what has been chosen, willed by God as opposed to what my egocentric expectations that  I want to be realized and created. This would mean as if I am the one who is ordering the Creator of the universe to follow my will. We are created in such a way that we will exercise our reality, which is our creatednes and therefore in need of the Creator who will create what I need for me. This is the way to learn how to communicate with my Lord.

We have to work on distinguishing between:

1. what my egocentric desires want and,
   2. what my spirit tells me. 

The spirit which includes reasoning, intelligence tells me my reality, which is to follow the order operating in the universe, obey what has been created, and be aware that it is the best for me to fulfill the purpose of my life. I don’t want to be ill so I have been taking all sorts of precautions but still God gives me illness! Should I be angry, upset? It is good for me as a reminder that I am a created being. It teaches me that I do not guarantee the result that I want but what He creates.  I can look for His order to get guidance and healing. 

I should understand that the purpose of my existence is realizing that I am a needy creature who is always in need of my Lord, the Absolute Creator. This understanding must be established. I should attempt to follow the order in the right way which tells me for example to take precautions in order not to get sick. For example, when I am always healthy, I may think that it is because I took the necessary precautions, was cautious of what I eat by having the best diet, kept the body fit with exercises, so as a result I am healthy. No, God is the one who gives health to me. I followed His will and in this way obeyed the Creator and He created the results of my obedience. I cannot guarantee health by myself. Who can guarantee even when I am following the order that the next person I pass by would not transmit a virus to me? The final decision is from my God. If I am given sickness, it is to remind me that I have to always keep my Creator in my mind. Whatever He creates is to let me know who I am and who He is. I am always needy of my Lord. I cannot guarantee anything based on my choices but must be reliant on my Lord.

شَاكِرًۭا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ 

16:121 He was grateful for the grace poured out on him by God, God had chosen him and guided him along a straight path.

Whatever I am given that I may like or may dislike, I must be thankful to God for it. Even if something is created out of my mistake that I don’t like, it is God’s grace to me. That is the only way that I can acknowledge my Creator and His choice, His will. Whatever is created is nothing but for my favor. Everything is a means of preparing and investing for my future in paradise. Even when I don’t like something created, it is also for my favor, a means of preparing me for my future in paradise, to help me develop the reality of my existence. This is challenging as my egoistic side rejects the creation that is not appealing to me. My feelings need to be trained to be conscious of my existence, by not getting disappointed with what is created but following His Will and His order in creation.

The phrase “ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ “, translated as “God has chosen him”. God has specially chosen him. Why was Abraham chosen? What is the wisdom in choosing a particular person?

In a way, I can say that I am chosen, or everyone can say to be chosen as one is faced with many events in life either pleasing or unpleasant to them. They are all the opportunities for me to be a “hanif”. For example, I have an appointment with a potential employer for work and I am going to meet the interviewer. This may have been an ideal job for me but something happens on my commute, either there is heavy traffic and I cannot make the appointment time. As far as my expectations are concerned, I don’t know the future. God knows my reality and I have to know that I cannot guarantee anything in this universe. I hope and pray to God for whatever is “khair” good for me, please create it for me. Submitting my being to God, to what He creates for me, being thankful to Him, is being a “Hanif”. We will see that in Abraham’s life there were many things that would not seem pleasant and yet he was grateful to his Lord. 

My “hanif” position is that I need to be guided to the straight path that I am expected to be on, no matter where I may be. The straight path is a way of understanding, a way of life, a direct path without any curves or crookedness that puts me in connection with God, as if He is next to me. That is, God must be busy with me at this moment, the one who creates me is my Creator. The One who puts me, according to my expectations, in “comfortable situations or troublesome ones” is my Creator. When I understand Him as my Creator, I don’t see any reason why He would create something harmful to me. Why should He disturb me for nothing when He has given me existence with all the faculties? There is no reason for the Creator of the universe to do something wrong or unwise to me. When I have taken the “hanif” position, I have chosen to be guided, to be directly in contact with God at every moment of my life. Practically, we should continuously train our feelings to keep in contact with Him. Every moment in my life must be seen as being created by my Owner. Through my feelings, intellect, when anything happens to me, I should welcome it as coming from my Creator. In every event I go through, God is present with me creating my situation, so I need to be humble. 

Being humble does not mean that one does not have any personality. It means not to be arrogant as if I decide on my life on my own but, it is my Creator who decides on it. I am begging, asking Him to create for me. Anytime I practice my free will, I am begging my Creator to create the result for me. I need to remember that my choice does not guarantee the creation of the result unless my Creator wills it. 

وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

16:122 And so We granted him favor in this world: truly, in the life to come he will be among the righteous.

The phrase “وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ “, translated as “And so We granted him favor in this world”. This sounds somewhat odd as to what we hear about prophet Abraham’s life. He had a big conflict with his family. His father asked him to go far away where he cannot see him. If he sees him, the father would stone him. From a very young age his father told that if you don’t stop rejecting my idols I will stone you to death. Then the tribe throws him into fire, everyone rejects him. He then goes with his family into the desert where there is no food and water. Is that a favorable life? 

Historically, we hear that prophet Abraham was married and had a newly born baby when God asked him to take the baby and his wife away and leave them there. It was a plan from God which Abraham didn’t know the outcome of, so he left his wife and baby in the desert as he was guided. The Quran is telling me that this is a favorable life. Even if everything goes against my expectations, I have to do my duty of obeying God in how He created me as a “hanif” without corrupting it. I should do my mission by obeying God’s order, follow the truth and leave the result to God. I must practice what I believe in my personal life. I can try to share the ideas with anyone who is interested. I have to follow the order of my Creator as much as I can be conscious of Him present in my life. If I follow the order of my Creator, I will definitely get goodness, beauty in this world. The hereafter will also be taken care of by Him. I have to confirm the news of paradise by living and experiencing the examples from this world. Taken for granted, news of paradise is imagination because the Quran gives reasons as to why I should be given paradise, as a reward: by following the will of my Creator in my worldly life, I have to practice it. If I am aware that I am following the order of God, I won’t be doing something transient anymore. This is how my life can become favorable (hasanah).

The phrase “وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ “, translated as “in the life to come he will be among the righteous”. The righteous ones definitely deserve God’s favor in eternal form. If I don’t feel God’s favor in this world then the eternal favor would just be an imagination for me. I have to experience the signs in this world where I must be happy with whatever is created for me. I may be unhappy when my egoistic choices, expectations are not fulfilled, I should put them aside and say that everything is from God and He is training me to get in touch with Him continuously. We have to see the signs here because my spirit cannot be subject to death, my human feelings are infinite. I can look at myself, I want eternal favor on a permanent basis. This is the evidence for me. 

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ ٱتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًۭا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

16:123 And then We revealed to you: “Follow the faith of Abraham, who turned from every false thing, and who was not among the idolaters.”

The word “إِلَيْكَ”, translated as “you” is primarily referring to the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who transferred it to the community to recite, understand, get the meaning as much as possible. This is a universal message which I should receive and apply to myself. If it was only for him, he would not have conveyed it to other human beings.

The phrase “أَنِ ٱتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًۭا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ “, translated as “follow the faith of Abraham, who turned from every false thing, and who was not among the idolaters”. The word, “مِلَّةَ” in modern language means “nation” but at his time there was no such nation as we have now. Another definition of this word is the creed, the way of believing and practicing in a community based on the creed of belief. Mostly it is translated as “the faith of Abraham” which is seeing the Absoluteness of the Creator. I am reminded again that I have to keep my innate disposition and try to prevent myself from polluting my being from anything that goes against what my innate disposition should be. I have to understand who is the Creator of the universe and I should not assign any quality to any part of the universe of which there is no evidence at all. My rational and intellectual conclusion, after investigating their qualities, is that this universe must have an Absolute Creator. I should be among the ones who follow the faith of Abraham and should be careful not to spoil my creation with my biased, egoistic, ambitious, self-centered desires that do not take God into account.